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(No Mod,e1.) 4 ZVSheets-Sheet l. T. B. GRIFFIN.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

No L577,952.

Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

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T. B. GRIFFIN. AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

No. 577,952. v Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-SheetJ 2,

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UNirn STATESv THOMAS B. GRIFFIN, OF THREE RIVERS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO FRANK B. VATSON, LAURENCE D. KNOVLES, AND HARRY P. BARROVS, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,952, dated March 2, 1897.

Application filed August 1, 18 9e.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. GRIFFIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Three Rivers, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in switching devices, and especially to a mechanism for automatically setting the switch by means of trips which are Carried on the-under side of the car and which are manipulated through lever-and-rod connection by the motorman, whereby as the car is in motion the trips may be so set as to Contact with atilting plate having connection with the frog of the switch to effect a sure setting of the switch as a car is traveling along the track.

A further part of the invention resides in the provision of a segment member which is geared at its lower end to pinions which carry the tripping-levers, the said mechanism being capable of a slight vertical movement, whereby the tripping-levers may accommodate themselves when passing over any obstructions between the tracks'.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the same consists, further, in the novel construction, combination, and adaptation of the parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

I clearly illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which drawings similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the mechanism located between the tracks, which operates the switch when the plate shown is tilted. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on line 2 2 of Serial No. 601,357. (No model.)

Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal viewthrou gh the iioor of a carand through the tripping mechanism and tilting plate, which latter is located below the surface of the ground. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the casing which incloses the tilting plate and lever connected thereto, the top of the casing beingy removed. Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the vertically-movable member which carries the segment, showing also the block which is rigidly secured to vthe truck. Fig. 6 is a reverse view of the member which carries the segment. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of one of the tilting plates.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letters, A designates the iioor of a street-car, to the truck B of which is bolted the supporting-block C. Said supporting-block is slotted a portion of its length, as seen at D, Fig. 5, and vertically movable in said slot is the integral flanged portion E of the yoke E.

The upper end of the yoke E is in shape of an inverted L, and the horizontal shaft F is journaled near one end in the upper end of the said yoke, and journaled on shaft F between the walls of the L-shaped end is the segmentgear H, which is provided with a series of cog-teeth h on its lower curved end. The forward end of the shaft F is guided in an elongated slot j in the bracket J, secured to the under side of the floor of the car, and a lever L is keyed to the end of the shaft F.

Interposed between the lower L-shaped end of the anged integral portion of the said yoke, as seen at e, and the backwardly-projecting portion C of the block O is a coiled spring O, which keeps the said yoke normally at its lowest limit. A bolt within the spring allows of its adjustment. Pivoted on stubshafts p on the front face of the yoke are the pinions P, which are arranged so as to mesh with the teeth of the segment. Integral proje'ctions of the said pinions P have pivoted in their bifurcated ends the wheels P2, which are provided'to trip the inclined plates R, which have integral pins fr, which are seated in apertures in the upper edge of the casing S, in which the said plates are carried. The other ends of the said plates, having integral IOO eyes r on their under sides, are pivoted to the upper ends of the posts R2 on the rocking platform T, which latter is rigidly held to a rock-shaft T', which is journaled in suitable boXings t. To the outer end of this shaft is keyed a crank U, the upper end of which crank rests in the bifurcated end of the anglelever V, to the opposite end of which anglelever is pivoted a link V', which in turn is pivoted to the frog XV.

The operation of the device is as follows: The motorman, when it is desired to operate the switch, throws the lever L to the right or left to open or close the switch, which causes the segment Il to rock and turn either one or the other of the pinions, so that an integral post P' will come to a vertical position, and as the car travels along such post will contact with one of the inclined plates R which is in its path, thus causing the plate to tilt, which in turn causes the rocking plate T to turn the shaft, on which it is rigidly held, and thereby throw the frog by means of the angle-lever connecting the latter with the rocking plate.

It will thus be seen that the switch Ina-y be set as the car with which my tripping` mechanism is equipped approaches from the right, Fig. l, by simply manipulating the operatinglever pivoted to the platform, so as to cause a tripping-post to assume a vertical position, which will cause the switch to be opened or closed, as may be desired.

Vhen the car comes from the opposite direction, the car-wheel will force the switchpoint back in proper position to allow the car to pass the switch.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l l. A device for operating a switch, com prising a segment-gear carried by the car, pinionwheels geared to said segment member, and means for rocking the segment, whereby tripping members integral with the pinions are thrown into such a position as to cause a tilting mechanism to be operated whereby a switch may be operated, substantially as shown and described.

2. A device for operating a switch comprising a gear-segment secured on a yoke carried on the under side ot' a car, combined with the pinion-wheels pivoted on said yoke, the teeth of said pinion-wheels meshing with teeth of the segment-gear, wheels pivoted to the free ends of the integral projections of the pinionwheels, and the shaft keyed to the upper end of the segment-gear, and tilting plates and connections for setting the switch, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a device for operating a switch, the combination with the truck, and the block C secured thereto, of the yoke, an integral flanged portion of said yoke Workin g in a recess or slot in the block C, a spring O interposed between a lower projection of the flanged portion oi the yoke and a projection on the said block, and of the means for tripping the rocking plate whereby the switching is etfected, substantially as shown and described.

4. In combination with the plates R, whose ends are provided with integral lugs designed to be loosely seated in holes in the casing carrying the tilting and rocking plates, the opposite ends of the said plates having eyes, of the rocking plate T, the posts R2 thereon, the said eyes pivoted to the upper ends of the posts R2, the angle-lever pivoted wit-hin the casing, and having connection at one end with a frog, its other end bifurcated, and the shaft T' rigidly held to the said plate T and provided with a crank the upper end of which is held between the bifurcated ends of the angle-lever, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS B. GRIFFIN.

Vitnesses:

S. ANDERSON, GEO. E. MILLER. 

